BUYING GUIDES..since 1995
|
GALT HOME:
Internet Guides - Finance - Audio/Video - Travel - Household/DIY - Health - Cars - Fashion - Sports - Entertainment - Cell Phones |
| MENU: Technology and Internet Guides | Travel | Health | Household | Sports ...independent online guides since 1995 |
What are antioxidants? What are free radicals?The human body is a pretty wonderful and amazing machine. The processes by which we take in energy and nutrients from foods, right down to the cellular level, is complicated yet precise. And for the most part, with trillions of cells working within our bodies, things go pretty smoothly. However, like everything else, the human body eventually breaks down, especially as we age -- cancers, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimers, and many other physical ailments begin to popup. One biological process that is not yet wholy understood is free radicals and antioxidants. Just like a fire, your body uses oxygen as it breaks down food and create energy for your cells. This process releases particles known as free radicals that can damage DNA and cell structure in your body. Free radicals are basically unstable molecules that try to steal electrons from nearby molecules, "breaking" them in the process and causing them to seek out electrons from others. Antioxidants wipe out these free radicals (hence the "anti" in the name), scouring your cells and cleaning things up. Anti-oxidants are stable with or without the extra electron, so they can stop the cycle or chain reaction caused by free agents. Antioxidants can be found in a lot of foods we eat (or should eat!). For example, Vitamin C is an antioxidant, and you can get Vitamin C from many foods like citrus, broccoli, etc. Vitamin E and phytic acid is another powerful antioxidant, found in nuts and whole grains (oatmeal, rye, barley). Vitamin A and Beta-carotene are still more antioxidants, found in carrots and other vegatables.
Where can I get anti oxidants? What kind of foods have antioxidants?When you are trying to increase antioxidants in your diet, one rule of thumb is to look for foods with colors. Some of the top antioxidants foods (though not all) by color are (those marked with * contain the highest levels of anti-oxidants):
What is lycopene? What foods have lycopene?Of the antioxidants, lycopene is a little different in that it is a pigment and not a vitamin. It gives other food their red or pink color, like watermelon and tomatoes. Some people think diets rich in lycopene help combat cardiovascular disease and prostate cancer. What kinds of food have lycopene? Let's start with tomatoes and tomato products -- ketchup, tomato sauce, tomato juice, tomato soup. As an example, a cup of tomato soup has about 6 times as much lycopene as 1 tomato, and about 3-4 times as much as a cup of watermelon. Grapefruits are often listed as fruits high in lycopene, but they have only 1/10 as much as a cup of tomato soup or spaghetti sauce. So if lycopene is your goal, stick with tomatoes and skip the watermelon and grapefruit.Health benefits of antioxidants? Can antioxidants fight cancer and other diseases?There have been some studies that showed lower prostate cancer rates in men with diets high in antioxidants, but like many health food and vitamin diets and supplements, there is not a lot of hard proof that eating a high-antioxidant diet will make you live longer or healthier, or keep you from getting cancer (you can read more about the cancer controvery at Cancer.gov). Many diseases have complex underlying genetic factors that are built into your body and cannot necessarily be controlled by diet or other external factors. However, there is a wealth of data that shows high-fiber diets and diets rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, and low in fats have substantial overall health benefits. Throw in a regular exercise program, rather than trying to load up excessively on specific food types, and you will be well on your way to a healthier you.
Do you have a quality site or product that belongs in this guide? We are always happy to evaluate or review new products and websites. Feel free to contact us at the email address below and let us know about you. If you have a demo product you'd like us to look at, please contact us before sending anything. Thank you.
Send email to: galtemail (@) yahoo.com
|
